Toxic Haze to Stay This Week

Toxic haze from China is expected to return to Korea on Tuesday afternoon carried by westerly winds, the National Institute of Environmental Research said Monday.

The concentration of fine particles will be at a normal level 31-80 ㎍/㎥ on average on Tuesday, safely below the 100㎍/㎥ environmental standard for air quality, but some central parts of the country will see the figure rise to 81-120 ㎍/㎥ in the afternoon.

The Seoul skyline is obscured on Monday afternoon as the country braces for a new influx of toxic haze from China.

The haze will move on to southern parts on Wednesday to blanket the entire country. The concentration of ultrafine dust particles is relatively high, containing high levels of heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.

Temperatures will be somewhat higher this week than the average in previous years at 10 degrees Celsius, with no snow or rain expected.